34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0142

Pressure capacity – a revolutionary benchmark for promoting healthy work environments

Matthew S. Araki1, James P. Smith2, Robert Loose3, Matt Lechtenberg4, Rachel Eigen5, Erick Faro6 & Maria Paula Alfaro7

1 Undergraduate Student, CCE Department, Brigham Young University, UT, USA, [email protected]
2Professor, CCE Department, Brigham Young University, UT, USA, [email protected], orcid.org/0000 0001-8925-5680
3Managing Director, Risk & Workplace Mental Health, HSE Global, UT, USA, [email protected]
4Safety Manager, Stout LLC, UT, USA, [email protected]
5Principal Consultant, Amplify Safety Consulting, AL, USA, [email protected]
6Graduate Student, CCE Department, Brigham Young University, UT, USA, [email protected]
7PhD Student, Psychology Department, Brigham Young University, UT, USA, [email protected]

Abstract

Elevated levels of pressure underscore the urgency for applying the job demands-resources (JD-R) model to the U.S. construction industry. Pressure capacity is introduced as a novel, nuanced terminology with respect to the JD-R theory. Pressure is defined as the demands, obligations, and consequences placed on individuals and groups to meet the expectations of a project, market, individual, group, etc. The word capacity refers to the total ability to absorb pressure through culture, character, processes, skilled labor, and other methods. Through this pioneering theoretical paper, the value of pressure capacity is emphasized through key literature surrounding varying JD-R applications, the Yerkes-Dodson theory, and potentiality as a metric. A series of models is subsequently developed. The Lechtenberg Pressure Flow Model serves as a diagram for mapping the flow of pressure within the traditional OAEC stakeholder model. The Pressure Elasticity Model illustrates individual-level pressure dynamics. Reminiscent of the FICO credit score model, the Pressure Capacity Scale (PCS) model serves the parallel purpose of communicating pressure dynamics, identifying risk, and promoting worker well-being and subsequent performance. Global collaboration is key to unlocking the full potential of pressure capacity for lean and the general construction industry.

Keywords

Pressure capacity, job demands-resources, psychological safety, waste, collaboration.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Araki, M. S., Smith, J. P., Loose, R., Lechtenberg, M., Eigen, R., Faro, E. & Alfaro, M. P.. (2026). Pressure capacity – a revolutionary benchmark for promoting healthy work environments. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 992–1003). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0142

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Araki, M. S., Smith, J. P., Loose, R., Lechtenberg, M., Eigen, R., Faro, E. & Alfaro, M. P.. (2026). Pressure capacity – a revolutionary benchmark for promoting healthy work environments. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0142

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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